Fable II's Knothole Island DLC pack is finally up for download for 800 Microsoft points (£6.80). Here's why writer Mark Llabres Hill reckons it's worth your cash.
As you've probably gathered the pack adds a new area to explore, the remote island of Knothole. "Only a hero can face the trials of the three shrines to bring back the sunshine," says the pack's official blurb.
To mark today's release we managed to get some questions 'answered' (we use the term loosely) by Fable II writer Mark Llabres Hill, who entertainingly dodges all of our queries on what we should expect from the pack, and Lionhead's plans for the future. At least you can download it now and find out for yourself.
How did the concept for Knothole Island come about?
Hill: We knew we wanted to return to the Knothole Glade village from the first Fable. And we knew we wanted to do an island. After months of heated meetings and tortuous concentration, we realised we could combine both ideas to create one super-idea.
After that, the rest (creating new regions the player can affect like never before, designing and creating tons of new items and characters, and writing and recording hundreds of extra lines of dialogue) was easy.
Did other ideas get shelved behind the island?
Hill: For every idea that makes it into the game, there's a whole bunch that are left out. They stand outside our office building, noses pressed against the window glass like hungry orphans.
We'd rather not reveal any in case we ever bring them back in from the cold. Well, there was the notion of calling it "DLC Island" (pronounced Duhlka, of course). Oh, how we laughed at that one.
Right. How does DLC Isl... erm, Knothole fit into the storyline then?
Hill: We wanted everyone to be able to experience the new content no matter how much or how little they'd played of Fable II, so the new quests are independent from the main story and you will unlock them throughout the course of the game.
As a whole, they do tell their own self-contained tale, and you will be able to play them in one go if you've already completed the game.
Some pretty "unique" items are promised for the pack. Can you give us any examples?
Hill: We'd rather not give too much away, but the new outfits, weapons and potions really do make the Hero feel rather different.
What about 'major choices'? Are there any more head-scratching decisions to be made on Knothole?
Hill: At the end of the Knothole Island tale, you will come across one of those juicy moral choices kids today just can't get enough of.
We wanted to fit in more mindless violence, but we're reliably informed that ethical dilemmas is where it's at these days. That, and yo-yos.
How much extra gameplay (in hours) can players expect?
Hill: As with everything else in Fable, it very much depends how you approach it. If you just want to blaze through it, it will probably take a couple of hours. If you want to discover everything on offer, it will take over four.
Have you learnt any development lessons during the creation of the DLC?
Hill: Yes, that the meeting room at the back of the office (known as Oakvale) is haunted. Also, never spill hot chocolate over your keyboard, as it can make it very sticky and uncomfortable to work with.
and it is taking for damn ever to download! and what annoys me everytime i play a game it pauses the download and then it continues when i return back to the dashboard! does anyone know how to make it faster
KnotholeIsland was once a sun-kissed paradise but the light has been banished leaving a cold and cruel wasteland. Heroes who brave the trials of three shrines can restore its natural beauty, and stand a chance of unearthing long-forgotten treasure.
Your adventures begin upon encountering Gordon the boatman in the docks alongside Bowerstone market. Gordon offers you a ride in his fancy submarine to an island where shops are said to be overflowing with intriguing new potions and weapon upgrades. It’s true as well. You’ll need everything you can carry to complete the quests that greet you… we would say unexpectedly, but now you already know.
Everyone who downloads the Knothole Island pack, Free or Premium version, can chat to Gordon who’ll bestow gifts from his travels upon you. You’ll also have access to over 50 new leaderboards, viewable at Lionhead.com.
However only those players who download the Fable II Knothole Island Premium pack can make the journey with Gordon and embark upon the new quests plus have access to the exclusive shops. In exchange for 800 Microsoft Points three fabulous and mysterious shrines are yours to plunder on Albion’s first island, where changing weather affects the gameplay. You’ll look resplendent in a full set of Knight Armour which reflects your morality state. You could also be the proud owner of, among other things, an Assassin outfit and benefit from an Attractiveness potion. All this and more… but only if you travel to Knothole Island.
Well what are you waiting for? Gordon the boatman just pulled into the harbour...
You can download a free pack that only allows you to recieve gifts from the travelling submariner man in Bowerstone, and the one you have to pay for unlocks Knothole Island for you to explore. Though I had the main story of it done in under an hour... Still worth it though to get back a certain absent friend
Its worth it just for the extra weapons and armour. Thats right actual armour.
Running around finding the items for the mystery shop is good and gets you thinking.
The main quest although only a couple hours long is you hunt everything out in the shrines, is still very well done and very entertaining.
However for me the ability to retrieve 'your best friend' wink wink was the icing on the cake. Can't remember being so happy nad chuffed when playing a game. I missed that guy.
For a a mini expansion i'd say this is the best Dlc i've seen in a long time.
In short if there was something you thought was missing from the game or a little ticked off about. this pack rectifies it.
The DLC costs about the same as a cinema ticket, and lasts over twice as long as the average film, so when you look at it like that, the cost isn't so bad
Downloaded it last night, played the main quest, and really enjoyed it. A nice addition to an excellent game.
y does everyone think by putting $ in MS makes them clever/witty? There a buisness, yes there there to make money, deal with it, because you said M$ you think there going to change because you saiud something? If you dont like getting more stuff then dont buy it simple, for us who want more of what we love we will pay for it, they know that, but im sure if u ask most fable fan thgey are more than willing to pay 800 points for 3-5 (or whatever you get out of it) hours of fun joy.
Thanks for clearing up the two different DL, was wondering why there was a free one and 800 one tehehe.
Side note, just because it is coming 1 month (well 2 isnt it? ) doesnt mean it was all made for money, there may be other reason for why it was not included with the game, there might have been issues with the content, space, or they werent happy with the content and wanted to work of it more. The people who make the game are gamers too, and they want to make the best they can in the time they have, to the best of thier abilites. till you work on your own game dont judge them.
New armour? you mean i might actually look cool teheh, i jsut cant ge tthe right look with what i have to work with, i always look so fat (i no im not, all i eat are me greens ^.- )
now are we going to get a lot more DLC? not like Mass effects 1 =(
Like you poop, I was disappointed only getting one additional Mass Effect DLC, so I hope for more with Fable 2. At least we potentially have ME2 this year
Agree with everything wheresmymonkey said. The armour looks funky, it's an extra couple of hours of Fable which is always a good thing, but the best part is your best friend coming back On another note, does anyone else have trouble with the Love Hurts sidequest? I've got all the body parts but when I go to take the head back it wants me to restart from scratch. I have the head in my inventory still, it's really annoying as I only need the 1 more gargoyle to get the treasure and it's in the tomb when you buy the mansion
f**king awesome items on this island. Master cutlass and master clockwork pistol with four augmentation slots each? Hell yes.
The armour is good, but I kept hoping as I acquired the pieces of it that it would turn out to be the same kind as the Bright or Dark platemail from the first game, handed down as a relic or something.
There was at least one frozen over chest in the first shrine that I couldn't access, and now, having finished the three shrines. I'm puzzled as to how I'm supposed to get the contents.
This game captured me from the word go. I haven't played a good a game since bioshock / Mass Effect. Its nice some games keep the there character and really absorb you into there world.
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I like his style.
